QF - Chiefs v Reds
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The late withdrawals for the Blues game were because:
Stevenson - hamstring
Narawa - backHopefully only precautionary but injuries they've had before. If neither can play that severely weakens the Chiefs outside backs. Rona would have to play on the wing.
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Unavailable for selection: Kaleb Trask, Malachi Wrampling, Gideon Wrampling and Josh Lord.
https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/gallagher-chiefs-team-named-for-home-quarter-final
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Alex Hodgman, Matt Faessler, Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen, Seru Uru, Ryan Smith, Liam Wright (co-c), Fraser McReight, John Bryant, Tate McDermott (co-c), Tom Lynagh, Mac Grealy, Hunter Paisami, Josh Flook, Tim Ryan, Jock Campbell
RESERVES: Josh Nasser, Sef Fa'agase, Zane Nonggorr, Connor Vest, Joe Brial, Kalani Thomas, Lawson Creighton, Taj Annan
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@Duluth said in QF - Chiefs v Reds:
Alex Hodgman, Matt Faessler, Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen, Seru Uru, Ryan Smith, Liam Wright (co-c), Fraser McReight, John Bryant, Tate McDermott (co-c), Tom Lynagh, Mac Grealy, Hunter Paisami, Josh Flook, Tim Ryan, Jock Campbell
RESERVES: Josh Nasser, Sef Fa'agase, Zane Nonggorr, Connor Vest, Joe Brial, Kalani Thomas, Lawson Creighton, Taj Annan
That's a strong Reds side who definitely can't be underestimated.
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@ploughboy said in QF - Chiefs v Reds:
MSR was poor last outing and Norris has been battling all season for bench role.
Proffit is a penalty magnet.
maybe they think tupou offers more power?
He was the TH lock against the Blues, and the scrum suffered. Vaa'i will play there this week. Tupou has been good around the field (e.g. 16 tackles against the Blues) and in lineouts/kickoffs but I still wouldn't have expected him to start. Ah Kuoi has been disappointing in the second half of the season.
McMillan must be confident that Poihipi can do a job as the backup 1st 5 again (if needed). Maybe Sititi should have taken the late conversions last week (see DMac's kicking challenge on SM).
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@ploughboy said in QF - Chiefs v Reds:
MSR was poor last outing and Norris has been battling all season for bench role.
maybe they think tupou offers more power?
slater or thompson a interesting one for meSelby-Rickit was the same at the Highlanders. A super talented player and great in some games and not so much the next, for one reason or another it just hasn’t fully clicked. Definitely a good squad player though.
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@Canes4life said in QF - Chiefs v Reds:
That's a strong Reds side who definitely can't be underestimated.
Game of the round IMO and a good chance for Oz to have two teams in the semis.
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@Tim Yeah don't want to be overly negative on the guy, but I don't know how he is still playing SR in 2024 let alone starting for the Chiefs. He always lacked a bit of physicality in his game to be effective at this level despite his best efforts.
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@Tim said in QF - Chiefs v Reds:
Playing Tupou is really scraping the bottom of the barrel.
I can only but assume they've gone for size, as given the tight 5 have been hopelessly ineffective in the big games this year then at least lets have our biggest hopelessly ineffective guys on the pitch and hope the laws of physics fall in our favour.
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@Windows97 Tupou is not big for a lock. Ideally Lord would be partnering Vaa'i but injuries. MSR has clearly fallen down the pecking order and is off-contract this year.
McMillan has said that the selection of the backline reserves is to provide more protection in the midfield and outside backs due to the injury niggles of Narawa and Stevenson.